Star Fox Chronicles
by CAnoApple
Summary: Fox is unable to defend himself. How will his friends help out?*complete*
1. Lylat One

A/N:  This is just my take on the Star Fox series(of course the heading are facts straight from the net but the rest comes from me.) I have borrowed a character from another author—Vixy Rita LaShette. Thanks Rita! There are 4 chapters so far, constructed in sort of weird way; the structure goes like this, past/present/more recent past. Hope it's not too confusing but I know it probably will be.

Lylat: StarFox Chronicles

_Many years ago, a scientist named Andross concocted a plan of attack against the great planet of Corneria. This came after General Pepper, the leader of the Cornerian army, exiled Andross to the planet Venom as punishment for developing bioweapons that would damage Corneria. Then five years later, there was some mysterious activity detected on the planet Venom. So the general hired Corneria's best fighter pilots, the Star Fox team, consisting of James McCloud, Peppy Hare, and Pigma Dengar, to do a little investigating. However, when the team reached the planet of Venom, Pigma betrayed James and Peppy, which led to their capture by Andross. Peppy barely made it out alive and returned home to Papetoon, and told James's only son, Fox, of his father's fate._

_A few years passed and Andross once again invaded the Lylat system and made plans to destroy Corneria. This time, a new Star Fox team, headed by Fox McCloud, were deployed on a mission to save the Lylat system from Andross's madness, and Fox was determined to avenge his father's death as well._

Level One

            _If ever you believed in yourself, you must believe now that you can face anything and survive. Death will be upon you if you fail to use your special skills, and if you lose your powerful motivation to complete each mission assigned to you, our world will be destined to be taken over and fall under the everlasting rule of the almighty Andross.   .....Fox? Can you hear me?....   ....Fox...!_

            "Nothing." said the attending physician. "I'm getting nothing but a faint heartbeat, not much else."

            Falco pounded a fist on the bedside table and had to be restrained by Slippy who was also doing his best to keep the emotions in check.

            "Don't lose it, Falco. The only hope we have is not letting this get the best of us. You know Fox wouldn't have wanted that."

            Perhaps those hadn't been the right words, because Falco turned to Slippy with a brow burrowed deep, yanked him by the collar and shook him up quite a bit.

            "You're talkin' like he's gone already!" Falco couldn't even bring himself to say the word _dead_. "I'm not stayin' here to watch this quack try convincing me he's not gonna make it! He's gonna make it!"

*****

Age of the Great Fox

            Night fell upon the city of Corneria as a cub was born to proud parents who had expected a litter of more than four, yet received just one. That was it. One. The good thing about that was he would be a well-bred kid, not having to share food or clothing or anything else with a den of sisters and brothers who would surely fight over everything and take most of it from him, for he was a quite small young fellow. However his mother saw this as a blessing. She didn't worry about his extended stay in the hospital. Having a premature cub meant he probably wouldn't grow much, which would surely keep him out of Corneria's Defense Army, like his father, who went on many dangerous missions and was away from home much of the time. She wanted the best for her son but also did not want him to miss out on what she considered the most important things in life--to fall in love and have a family and live happily ever after. But on the day her young cub came home from the hospital, within a matter of minutes her husband had placed a pilot's helmet on the son's head and grinned, "You're gonna be a fighter pilot, little guy...just like good ol' dad."

            Several months later, the mother was murdered by a car bomb, leaving her cub behind to be raised alone by his father, James McCloud.

***

            "Your son, he's really becoming quite a young cub, isn't he?"

            Peppy Hare was right about that. Fox was a fine young cub. In less than two months the kid had stopped running about on all fours and was up on his hind legs, giving him the advantage of grabbing for just about whatever he wanted, even his father's valuable collection of rare antique firearms.

            "Look at that!" Peppy pointed at the smallish vulpine who got up on a chair to take one of his dad's finest pistols from the weapon rack. "He even knows how to aim the thing!"

            "Yeah," James went after his son. "Good thing it's not loaded or you and me would be in a whirlwind of trouble."

            Then just as James was close to grabbing his son, the cub turned and aimed straight for a can on a shelf across the room, pulled the trigger, and in less time than it takes to inhale, a single bullet struck the can, hitting its bullseye dead center.


	2. Lylat Two

Lylat: StarFox Chronicles

One thing not lacking on the planet of Corneria was its strong military forces. A highly skilled and very effective battalion of the Cornerian Air Guard patrolled the skies anticipating another attack by an elusive enemy.  The Great Fox, named for it's commander, James "Fox" McCloud, rolled across the sky in direct sight of Corneria's inhabitants, reminding them of the fact that peace came at a significant cost and casual freedoms were not easily defended.

Lylat: Level Two****

            Peppy and Slippy listened attentively to the doctor's explanation of why Fox had fallen into such a deep coma without any apparent sign of trauma. Falco was also present but not really listening until hearing what he deemed necessary information.

            "...It was drug induced," said the doc. "Hardly traceable, but there. I think that's what you can blame for his abrupt change of personality. You say he became obsessive, angered to the point of rage, violently out of control....well...if anything could cause it, the mixture of venom found in his blood samples would've done it..."

            "Wait!" Falco came to attention. "Venom....what the hell? Why're you bringin' up Andross at a time like this?"

            "Falco, he wasn't--" said Peppy. "The venom was in Fox's blood. But of course we have to assume it came straight from the evil emperor himself."

            "Yeah, you bet. So, now that we've got that straight, anybody got any bright ideas on what to do now that Fox is about to get hanged for crimes he committed while under the influence of this stuff?"

            Silence shrouded the small hospital room as one looked to the other and a red light began flashing on the equipment at Fox's bedside. The doc was first to see it and quickly got over to the system that monitored everything from brain waves to body temperature and at the moment it showed a flurry of sudden erratic activity and a surge of pressure through the spinal cord.

            "I was going to say the mixture was a very potent derivative of jonquil...very poisonous to his species....  Great mother of--!" The doc squalled suddenly.

            "What?" went Slippy.

            Falco, sitting on the edge of a desk near the window, got up and rushed to the other side of the bed. "He's chokin'!"

            "No, no he's not choking! Would you move out of the way! I'll handle this!"

            "But he's gasping for air!" Slippy sided with Falco.

            The doctor ignored them and leaned over with his fundoscope, carefully pulled up Fox's right eyelid to examine the pupil. "Fully dilated...." he mumbled clearly enough to be understood then checked the other eye. "...This is....I'm going to have to ask you all to leave..." 

            "I'm not leavin'!" shouted Falco just before Peppy pulled him away from the bed.

            The doctor quickly punched the call button and grabbed a number of instruments from a cabinet beneath the monitor.

            "You're killin' him!"

            "Back off, Falco!" Peppy yelled.

            "Out! All of you!" The doc commanded as the nurse entered and finally Peppy pulled Falco away and out of the room. Slippy followed swiftly. The door slammed shut. Less than a minute later, a female voice came over the hospital's intercom.

            "Code Blue! Code Blue! Room three o five! Doctor Benzington, Room three o five! STAT! Doctor Benzington, Room three o five!"

            Peppy stood back in an area several feet from the room where they had just left. _Room 305_, and he released Falco while Slippy went over in a corner looking on the verge of a mechanical breakdown. The light over the door flashed. Another doctor rushed into the room and for a moment everything seemed to drop dead silent again, same as on the night Fox had been brought in by the Cornerian special police escort.

            "Stand back! This one's a prisoner and he's dangerous! Get 'im into the room....fast!"

            They had not wasted any time making statements and just when it seemed that Fox would be cleared of any wrongdoing, a news bulletin flashed on the InterStarlite Television Network.

            "...It's been confirmed that Fox McCloud, lead pilot of the Star Fox team has been captured and taken into custody after spending several nights on the run. The usually kind and gentle Fox reportedly became violent after a scuffle with another young pilot at a local bar, then proceeded to various locations where he roughed up a store clerk and then sped away from the scene on a motorcycle, hitting two pedestrians, then made some other stops where he caused more havoc until finally ending up at the home of his girlfriend, Fara Phoenix..."

            That's where the police had captured him. Actually, it wasn't much of a challenge; Fox had passed out cold at Fara's house, and she was screaming when they arrived.

            Peppy noticed the light over the door of Fox's room blinking steadily, then was a flash in the corner of his eye.

            "Hey guys....I got here soon as I could..."

            It was Bill Grey, joined by another close friend of the team, Rita LaShette.

            "You're a little late," said Falco as he'd finally stopped his pacing. "Show's over folks."

            Rita gasped.

            "Don't pay him any attention." Peppy gave Rita a one-armed hug then cut his eyes at Falco.

            "Man, what the hell happened to him anyway?" asked Bill.

            No one looked able to handle an answer, except somehow, Slippy.

            "Well, first, he got into a fight with Falco over there...."

            Falco glared at Slippy for revealing what was supposed to remain confidential information. Not even the news was reporting the other pilot's identity. The incident took place in a civilian establishment where most military personnel went virtually unknown in the mix of patrons. _But those people knew one of them, all right. ...Corneria's famous son, Fox McCloud._

            "You guys at it again, Falco?" Bill chuckled. "So what else's new?"

            "Zip it, pal." shot Falco.

            "Okay, would you two stop already?" went Slippy. "As I was saying, Fox and Falco got into a brawl then apparently Fox stopped at a nearby convenience store and tossed a clerk over a counter--"

            "You're kidding me, Fox did that?"

            "Well, apparently he was trying to buy a six-pack of Granit, and when the clerk told him he wasn't old enough, he tossed the guy. Then he stole some guy's motorbike and went on a rampage all over the place, getting in more fights, throwing more clerks and spewing insults at people, then eventually, after leaving a trail of destruction behind him, he went over to Fara's--"

            "That's enough, Slippy," said Peppy. "I think they've pretty much got it."

            Slippy looked over at Peppy and knew he'd better not go any further than that.

            "Well, how long has he been in there?" asked Bill.

            "A couple hours." Peppy answered.

            "For what?"

            Peppy took time to gather his thoughts then inhaled deeply. "Bill, I'm afraid there's some bad news. Fox fell into a coma while they were bringing him in...."

            Rita gasped a second time. Peppy continued.

            "They're doing the best they can to at least keep him alive. It's up to us to do all we can to do the right thing if he doesn't.....doesn't make it."

            Falco puffed out his chest and aggressively pointed his thumb in it. "Andross is mine! This is it, man....I mean it! If there's one thing I can do for Fox, it's blowin' the smitherines outta that monkey-eared piece of crap!"

            Peppy then looked up the light over the door.

            It had stopped flashing.

**

Ring-side seat

            School was a place for learning, the first and foremost bastion of society—"The greatest strength of any species is its intelligence," his father once said.

            Soon as the bell rang at the end of each school day there was a small group of boys who met in a field behind a tall metal fence surrounding the huge Cornerian Air Defense Home Base. The four of them had a spot where they could see the planes take off and perform multiple training maneuvers, sometimes flying above their heads, curling u-turns and barrel-rolling high above ground, and as usual, one of the boys went wild.

            "Whoa! D'you see that?"

            Another quivered at the thought of it.

            "I...I don't know if I could fly one....b...but I betcha one day I could build one!"

            The next one just smiled.

            "I could do that. Just wait 'til my day comes. I show all of 'em how it's done."

            At the end was the one who said nothing, just watched, and then he recalled his father's words along with the name of a man whose intelligence was matched only by his desire to rule the world.

            _....Andross....  ...he must be stopped..._

Alas the young one came back to the present and focused his attention to the skies.

            Four planes flew out in formation. That young red fox kept his eyes on the leader.

**_(Really strange so far, you agree? Well get ready for more!)_**


	3. Lylat Three

Lylat: StarFox Chronicles

_General Pepper made a riding inspection of the academy's finest students, all who had completed the first stage of basic training.  Out of the class of twenty-five were two cadets who stood out significantly.  Bill Grey. Fox McCloud. When the general looked into the eyes of Bill Grey, he saw a mirror of himself, highly ambitious, always in the fray and never afraid to face danger. Then the general moved to the lucent steel blue eyes of Fox McCloud and was the eerie likeness to a man who had dedicated his entire life to the air guard.  Surely enough, James McCloud's kid had made quite an impression in his pack, was a natural born leader, keen and coolheaded. In flight simulation and actual time in the field, he completed each assignment, hardly breaking a sweat. One thing the general was sure of--Fox would one day become known as a legend in his own time._

Lylat: Level Three

"Something wrong, Miss?"

            Her hands trembled. She thought people were looking at her, whispering about her. Her father begged her to come back home, to leave everything else behind.

            "Fifty, four, and five." said the clerk.

            The young female smiled politely then clamped the change in her shaking hand, threw it all into her purse, then walked out of the store to her car with its engine still running, got in and quickly sped away and raced out to the first intersection where she barely missed running a red light. She then barreled ahead, punching the accelerator to the floor while at the same time catching the end of a bulletin coming over the radio.

            .....a great loss...and not to mention how difficult a task it will be to replace the extremely talented young pilot. We'll all miss him and despite these last few days of his rampant self-demise, we'll never forget his courage and valor which led to the greatest defeat of an enemy in the history of Corneria....

            Peelings of burnt rubber scarred the road's surface as the car came to a screeching halt.

            She was surrounded.

            There would be no struggle. They were taking her in, and she knew she should have never tried getting away.

*****

Turn Of A Century

            Nothing spectacular had happened in so many years. But at least the planet was a very peaceful place, worthy of life and perfect for raising children.

            James McCloud had one. He'd never planned on another until the day he and his wife discovered a small bundle upon their front doorstep. She was a healthy young vulpine with ice-blue eyes and curly red locks, giggling each time she was snuggled. The McCloud's named her Rita Vixy,(Vixy being the name of Mrs. McCloud), and they had planned to raise her together, along with their son, just a few days older than the child. Then came the death of James McCloud's wife.

            The infant would grow into a beautiful and smart young girl--a little pint-sized sprite filled with energy, that's what she was. One thing James was thankful for was that she at least wasn't outgrowing his own flesh and blood, his only son. Those two kids became tightly bonded over the years, with Fox always looking out for the well-being of the girl he considered as a sister, and Rita always looking to him for guidance and protection. Then came a time when she didn't need him so much to defend her, after joining a martial arts class--the same one as her brother--at school. It was in that class where Rita excelled quickly, almost faster than Fox, and became well-known by the other students as a girl who "could kick butt with the best of 'em."

            During this time, Rita also made a very close friend with another girl who eventually struck up a friendship with Fox as well. Her name was Fara Phoenix, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and a fine young girl; like Rita, she learned quickly and once she did, had no trouble holding her own. It wasn't at all surprising to learn that Fox soon took a very strong liking to her, a girl so much like his slain mother that it was scary.

            Years after martial arts school, the three of them found themselves together again, as Fox and Rita attended the same high school as Fara, and it was there where Fox realized she was much more than just another girl, perhaps _his_ girl...perhaps they would be like his mother and father,

            "I've just got this strange feeling," he told Rita one day as they returned home from their first week at the new school. "I feel a flame inside of me whenever she's around."

            "Wow.That's cryptic. You mean that in a good way or bad?"

            Fox looked at her with a pleasant smile. "Good...very good."

            Rita seemed a little bemused. "I don't even know why you're telling me this."

            He didn't blink before saying, "There are some things that you can tell a girl that you can't tell the guys."

            From that day on Fox couldn't have stayed away from Fara if his life had depended on it. He had no idea back then, that one day he'd spend the last moments of his youth in her arms.


	4. Lylat Four

Lylat: Star Fox Chronicles

Nothing was left of James McCloud. He'd vanished into a black hole, never to be seen in this world again....or would he?  

Lylat: Level Four

            Water trickled along her spine and trailed down her petite and lithesome frame, swirled around her feet, warm and wet, washing away a raw odor which had been with her for more than a day. She grasped the enamel bars on each side of the shower after feeling a little dizzy, then as quickly as the feeling came, it went away.

            Still, her hands trembled, although not severely as the day before.

            Her father was a powerful man who could make people move on the dime, and it was he who had sent out the brigades to capture her, then bring her back home where she belonged. She fell into his arms when arriving at Phoenix Estate. He had a look on his face, not one of 'I told you so,' instead he appeared to be more than happy to see her and at the same time stunned by the turn of events.

            "Here, Pup," He seldom used that pet name--hadn't since she was at least twelve years old. "Everything's just the same as it was when you left. All you need to do is go up, pull back the covers and sink into bed."

            "Yes, Daddy." Her eyes held a dysphoric glimmer as he rested the palm of his hand on her cheek. 

            She had gone straight up to her room but did not go near the bed.

            While in the shower, she must have heard the phone ringing constantly then being answered by a recorded message. _....hello, you have reached the living quarters of Fara Phoenix, Civil Defense Specialist. I'm not in at the moment but if you would like, please leave me your name, number, and a brief explanation for this call and I promise to get back to you as soon as possible...._

            A few more minutes and she finished her shower, wrapped a fluffy white towel around her, then retreated back into her bedroom that had been kept polished and neat just incase she ever returned to stay for a while. However, that had not crossed her mind since leaving home, because she had learned well enough to take care of herself, kept an apartment in the city without once having to ask her father for money, even though he'd offered it to her too many times, and she had been safe--her neighbors looked out for her, and so did her friends. 

            She figured they were all wondering where she had gone now. All but one.

            _rrrrriiiiinnnnnngggg!!!!!!_

This time, the phone made her skin crawl.

            The recorded message played. Then one beep.

            ".....Fara.... It's Rita! Pick up! Please, if you're there, pick up!..."

            It was too soon to talk to them. She wasn't ready for talking to anyone, especially not Rita.

            "Please....It's about Fox....  There's something very important... Please... ...oh my--"

            She snatched up the receiver in the nick of time. "Hello?"

            "Thank God you answered!"

            _Then were second thoughts...._

            "I've been trying to call all day and the line's been busy. Are you okay?"

            No answer.

            "We were all worried about you," said Rita. "Peppy wanted to know if there's anything he could do, or we could do to help--"

            Bluntly. "No."

            A moment of silence, then Rita spoke again.

            "Fara, we need you to make a decision, and I hate to be the one to put pressure on you, but there's not much time. As it is, you're the only one authorized to make this decision."

            "What decision?"

            "You'll have to come down to--"

            "I'm not coming anywhere," Fara swiftly countered. "And you can forget telling anyone else where I--"

            "Fox named you as his legal guardian!" Rita blasted.

            If this was the way they played games, it wasn't funny. After all she'd just been through, it seemed that her friends would have known better than to act so haphazardly in such a situation and finally stop making light of the fact that she was older than Fox by two and a half....well actually closer to three...years.

            "I'm not in the mood for jokes!" she snapped.

            "Jokes? Why the hell would I be joking at a time like this, Fara? His living will gave you control of everything, and you have to understand something else...."

            She didn't want to hear anything more.

            "It's up to you to decide whether to leave him the way he is....or....well... to pull....the plug..."

            The phone didn't leave her ear. She listened but could not speak. Water dripped steadily from the ends of her hair, the carpet had become damp at her feet.

            "Fara....? Fara...? Are you still there?"

            A pulse. A substantial amount of trembling. Barely anything else.

Eat My Dust

            Looked like a smooth operating machine. He'd spent loads of cash on it, fixed it up with headers and chrome with a 650.Mach engine rebuilt to supply a powerful torque nearly matching the speed of sound just above the surface. Heads could barely turn fast enough to see it in action.

            "Nice."

            Falco wasn't too thrilled with that response. "This baby is a supreme piece of machinery, top notch, better than gold, man, and that's all you can say? Nice?"

            Not that Fox was not familiar with pricey fixed-up hotrods, he just didn't see the point of plunking down five-hundred bills at a time just for show. "Okay, better than I expected."

            "And?"

            "Well, if you want my honest opinion--"

            "Damn, I'm not lookin' for your honest opinion, Fox! As I matter of fact I'm not lookin' for anything from you. Now what'd you come here for anyway?"

            "To get you out of this and into where you belong."

            "And according to you, where's that?" Falco tightened a hose, checked the oil.

            "The Academy."

            If there was anything that could make the already fiery-tempered hawk miffed, that was it.

            "There you go again talkin' about that cadet stuff again....  I don't wanna be a cadet...  It sounds sissy--"

            "Falco,"

            "--And you tell your little girlfriend to stop goin' around comparing what I do to what you do."

            "Come again?"

            Falco came out from under the hood where he was working and wiped some of the grease from his hands. "What's 'er name again? Ferry?"

            Fox glared. "That's Far-a."

            "Whatever. I hear she thinks you're the greatest pilot in the whole damned planetary system when you haven't even earned your wings yet....and on the other hand, she considers me a dumb guy with an even dumber hobby."

            Seemed he'd stumped the academy's most treasured cadet.

            "I don't see why you're so hung up on getting me to join the force when they've got you anyway," he sneered. "You're tops, right, Junior? You're gonna follow in your dad's footsteps, but we're all expecting you to at least outsmart ol' Andross instead of gettin' sucked into one of his traps--"

            Fox snatched Falco away from the cleanly polished engine before he could get a hand on the air intake valve.

            "I don't know what the hell your'e tryin' to prove, Falco, but whatever it is, it's not workin' with me. You're a damned good pilot to begin with, maybe the best. But you sure as hell will never know it if you don't get off your ass and go for it! Flying's in your blood, man. Deny that and deny what you are."

            Falco straightened his collar soon as Fox let go and noticed his wrench on the chassis. He then picked it up and stepped forward, shoving the thing almost up the vulpine's trail-sniffing nose. "Don't ever do that again, McCloud, or you'll find that tail of yours wrung in a knot around that gallant little neck of yours."

            "It's not my neck you want, pal. Remember, it's Andross. And I know deep down you want to see him destroyed. Join the defense and burn him alive."

            In the eyes of Junior McCloud was a stark chilling glare before he turned and walked away. Falco smirked, wiped the remaining grease from his hands then shut the hood.

            "..Yeah...." he said into the direction where Fox had just disappeared. "..I'll join, allright. Seems they need someone to show their little cadets how to fly...."

            ****

Lylat5


	5. Lylat Five

Lylat: Star Fox Chronicles

_The power of these wings made all others seem as though they couldn't thrust with any more strength than a hand propelling a paper airplane across a classroom.  Average fighter jets were equipped to handle the most inexperienced barrel-rollers but lacked highly maneuverable nose to flank aerodynamics. This one rose to the skies like a very sleek bird--one he knew all to well.  "A bird?" someone asked. No, not just another bird, but one who had gracefully soared across the vast skies with his feathered breast rising to greet the wind. "He knows his stuff," said another._

_The cadets watched Falco Lombardi break in the newest addition of the Arwing fleet, molding it into an extension of himself, hitting every sharp turn on point, rolling right and left with eye-dazzling precision. "....Wow....I haven't seen flying like that since... Well...I've never seen flying like that. He'll be a demon in the skies...a real demon."_

_A demon._

_No doubt in the general's mind that it was true, but had to take a chance. As of yet there was no one else with such outstanding skills--none more ready. Sure, Falco was a rough sort of character but without question he'd get the job done._

The morning after flight trials, General Pepper gave his orders to the commanding officer. At long last, the Great Fox would take to the skies once again with its crew complete.

****

Lylat: Level Five

            Soon as the search lights came on, he shot full power out to the thrusters and hung a u-turn back toward the city. There was no time to worry about risky maneuvers and most certainly could not have waited for anymore signals since for all he knew, no one else was out there in the dead of night for many miles. He wasn't used to the navigational instruments on this sophisticated piece of aircraft but didn't have to be—he knew his way around those skyscrapers like the feathers in his wings. By instinct alone he cut a trail of smoke into the night sky and darted in between the maze of angled steel then rolled a sharp left and leveled out again at less than 300 kilometers, until bringing the powerhouse starship to a hovering stance between the monolithic Galaxy Building and Horizon Towers.

            Her watch read 12:29 and the elevator hadn't yet reached the top floor.

            She had struggled getting in. The wheels of the stretcher got caught up in the space between the floor and the tram, and she panicked but somehow jumped the wheels over the crack before the doors closed. Her heart raced underneath the fake nurse's uniform and she practically fell against the back wall then looked up at the floor numbers lighting up, knowing the hospital attendants were about to discover what she'd done and were coming after her. Suddenly a red light inside the elevator flashed. Bells and whistles rang on each floor she passed. A loud voice came over the intercom. "ALERT! ALERT! ESCAPE IN PROGRESS FROM THIRD FLOOR! ESCAPE IN PROGRESS FROM THIRD FLOOR!"

            Yes. They were on to her.

            Ten. Eleven. She stared at the panel, hoping to pressure it into surging faster the twentieth floor. And then she broke that concentration for a quick moment to check the gurney, knowing she had prepared for a rough ride, fitting the restraints snugly around her significant other after carefully removing the needles from his arms then quickly removed the mask from his face and took extra care when pulling the taped leads for the heart monitor from his svelte coat of short fur, then she had attached a portable breathing device that would hopefully keep him stable until they made it safely to the first destination.

            12:31.

            The doors opened. This time, help had arrived.

            "Move! Come on! Go! Go!" shouted the young pilot who ran up to grab hold of the rails while she quickly took out the short tube then pressed her lips onto her patient's mouth and blew gently, two short breaths--her first and foremost concern, keeping him alive—then replaced the tube and tucked the portable machine at his side. Consequently, the next few moments were crucial and she realized it soon as the near frigid air blasted her in the face. Now worried that his body temperature would drop below normal before making it to the platform, she held on tight to the hand grips and ran alongside as her friend was on the other, and in less than thirty seconds the two of them miraculously made it across rooftop and to the platform where her father's first fleet Star Glider awaited liftoff.

            "Fara!..." yelled Falco and drew his blaster to cover along with the air defense's other strategically positioned marksmen on the roof. "Grab those! Lock 'em then you hang on!"

            She'd never used them but figured out quickly that she was to attach the hooks onto the side of the stretcher which would then be hoisted up a shaft like a rollercoaster starting its ascent to the first big hill. The sudden blasts of gunfire and glass flying around on the windy rooftop gave an instant reminder that this was no amusement park ride.

            "....Get Down!..."

            At the sound of Falco's voice, she stretched out over her boyfriend's body, knowing they were almost inside the capsule, and then could only close her eyes after seeing sparks of bullets on the metal and shattering glass coming down around her, and at some point she noticed the cold air was gone, the rounds of ammunition popping seemed far away, then finally, Fara opened her eyes when she heard a familiar voice.

            "It's all right now. We made it."

            Nothing more was spoken before she slumped into her friend Rita's arms with teary eyes and trembled after realizing she could have been killed out there and not only that—the worst was yet to come.

            The doors on the capsule's underside shut quickly and the two friends pulled away from each other. Within the next few moments, the ship lifted off and away but just before it cleared the roof she saw a man in a white coat who appeared to call off the remaining hospital guards. It was Doctor Benzington.

            "We're safe." Rita snuggled her then pulled back. "Know what? You were right. And well....I suppose Falco was right, too. Slippy ran tests on the samples you took from the lab. The doc was feeding him the stuff intravenously, increasing the dose steadily until it would finally kill him. You can bet one thing for sure. Fox will have a lot to thank you for when he comes out of this, Fara. You've saved his life."

            In less than an hour, they would arrived in Kelm, the location of Slippy's laboratory, where Fox would be taken care of by his friends who wouldn't settle for anything than his survival.

***

Daggers From The Sky

            It really didn't matter to Slippy one way or the other who came aboard the Great Fox, of course, contingent on their ability to maintain general clearance by the Cornerian Security Council. On the other hand, Peppy would just about have Fox's wings torn off when he found out about Fara. Her father being the lead designer of the Starship fleet would have nothing to do with Peppy's decision to more than likely toss her onto the next shuttle back to home base. Just a few more minutes and Slippy started getting nervous about whatever was going on behind the control room's closed door, and he leaned against it, tapping lightly as not to make any echoes that would tip anyone off. Moments later the door unlocked and retracted slightly.

            "Yeah, Slippy. What's it this time?"

            "Oh.....Hi...Fox! You...y....you've been in there a....a long time..."

            Slippy could see the beginning of a frown on his best friend's face at the two-inch opening.

            "It's been exactly fifteen minutes," said Fox with a quite gritty tone. "Slippy, you really don't need to stand there guarding the door."

            "But Fox! If.... If Peppy catches you—"

            "Catches me, what?"

            "Well,"

            "Look, my good friend, this is nothing more than a friendly visit, and if Peppy comes along I'll explain it to him, okay? Now you go ahead and take yourself a little break. And relax, will ya?"

            In a matter of seconds the door closed again, leaving Slippy to turn away and head back to his compartment for the evening, but then all of sudden he turned around and went back to the door, thinking of what he was about to do and having some hesitance about it. He gazed up at the octagonal cover on the door, knowing that if he flipped it up, he would be able to look into the control room and see just what was going on in there, but knew he was too short to see, so he grabbed a spare supply bundle from a nearby locker and quietly shoved it up next to the door, then carefully stepped onto it, bringing him just high enough to see through the window after opening the hatch....

            ...Fara pulled away after being stunned by what Fox had done. For so many years they had been friends, nothing more, as she assumed it was the way he wanted it after ignoring her continuous advances towards him. He didn't even seem to mind it when she told him about dates she was going on or how late she arrived back home or what she did...and didn't do. At long last, she had come to the conclusion that he wasn't interested, and so just moments earlier she had told him about Hawk Raymo, her current boyfriend, and how they were talking more lately a lot about marriage and raising a family, then she noticed the sudden expression on his face with a strange look in his eyes—somewhat concerned and at the same time momentarily blank when suddenly he took her his arms and sealed his unspoken words in a kiss. She couldn't even speak for being held so tightly in his clutches, but it had all felt natural.

            Cool air blew in from the vent overhead. She smiled to herself and wondered if it was just good timing or if they had raised the temperature in the room a few degrees. Whatever it was, she said nothing for being so stunned.

            But then he appeared a bit nervous, seemed to be missing something, fumbling around in his pockets and grumbling to himself.

            "Is there...something wrong?" she asked, a bit out of breath, of course.

            "No, nothing's wrong. Just hold it a sec," and then he stuck his index finger in the air. "Oh yeah...I know..."

            Fara looked on as he sat down in the nearest chair, unsnapped a small pouch on the outside of his left boot and took something out.

            "Here," he said and stood again with a smile.

            He first cupped his hands around hers, then gently he brought hers apart, revealing what he had placed in them.

            "It belonged to my mother. I want you to have it."

            Glimmering in her palms was a gorgeously decorated pin—not really just any pin, but an exquisitely crafted broach cast in gold and diamonds and the whole piece was in the shape of the wings that only the elite Cornerian Defense fighter pilots wore.

            "My dad gave it to her before he took command of the Great Fox, and so...well...I'm giving it to you."

            "Oh..." Fara cradled it in her hands, adoring it. "To me? But this is a family heirloom, you can't—"

            He quickly pressed two fingers to her lips. "Shhh..."

            No later than half a second after that, the control room doors opened and he quickly pushed her hands together to conceal the gift.

            "Fox! We've got a new mission!" Peppy zoomed in like lightning finding its path to the ground but then fizzled to a halt when he saw Fara. "What on Corneria is she doing here?"

            Then Slippy owned up to his name and slid in behind the old guy. "I....I ..I tried..."

            "Quiet!" Peppy shot out and stepped in between the two of them. "Where's your travel passport, young lady?"

            "Come on, Peppy..." Fox bemoaned. "..She's one of ours—"

            "Without clearance from The General!"

            Fara turned flush. "But, I..."

            "I thought she had clearance!" Slippy broke in.

            "What happened to you watching the door, anyway, _Sneaky_!" Fox snarled.

            "Knock it off, Fox!" Peppy snapped.

            Sizzling silence. Then Fara nodded.

            "I think I'd better go..."

            "Yes, I think it would be best." Peppy nodded with a very disturbed eye on Fox. "You can use the com over there to call a shuttle."

            In the wee hours of the next morning, Fara finally boarded a transport heading for Macbeth and she would be there for a few hours then would catch the next one back to Corneria.

            "Boy, that was dumb," said Falco about the incident as he logged the supply list and Fox was once again at the controls. "Have you no morals, sly guy? I don't know why Slippy was so hyped about whatever he saw you and Fara doin' in there but I can just guess—"

            "Cut it, Falco."

            "Well I think you'd better watch your step, fooling around with moneybags Phoenix's daughter and risk losing that big promotion you just got from the high command. But hey, what am I saying? If you don't work out then just maybe they'll see who should really be the team's leader, huh pal? See, I'm different than you Fox. My instincts are sharper. Yours, ol' pal, are a little muddled at times...."

            Falco's voice trailed off into the background as Fox watched the radar, seeing the blip that was Fara's transport heading straight for.....

            "Falco!"

            "What? I meant every word I said and if anybody else was paying attention they'd see who's the real leader on board this ship—"

            Fox shot up from his chair totally ignoring everything else except the radar. "...It's turned off course...  ....Passing Aquas and seemingly on a path toward the outer limits of....oh no....Area Six....."

            "Exactly what I was saying," Falco continued on his spiel as he went over to check the radar himself. "Move aside, you're probably readin' it wrong—" He stepped up to the panel, nudging Fox aside. "Probably just your fleas jumping on the screen....scat!" he flicked something off the glass.

            "Excuse me?" Fox refuted. "I've never had a flea in my life."

            After their useless exchange of words, Falco saw the blip drift into Area 6, lights on the control panel started flashing and a very brief mayday signal came in through the com then vanished along with the blip.

            "Holy asteroids!" Falco squalled. "Either they've gone into some kind of warp zone or they've been...  ...shot down..." He couldn't say anything else before Fox leaned over the controls like he'd been kicked full force in the gut,

            "Falco! Fox!"

            It was Slippy.

            "We just got word of a transport being blown right out of the sky! Peppy's talking to The General now and I'm pretty sure we're going to be sent out on a search and recovery mission!.... .....Fox?.... Hey, Falco.... he doesn't look very good...."

            He just kept looking at the radar. Couldn't look away because he knew there had to be some kind of mistake. His whole body had gone numb until at last he could feel someone shaking him. Their voices seemed to echo in his ears and as of yet he had not pulled away from the screen which now emitted nothing more than a field of blackness. He didn't even realize it when Peppy came, but heard the voice nearby.

            _"You know I never would have sent her if I thought there was the slightest chance of..... ....Fox...listen to me.. We have to focus on our mission...."_

When he turned away from the screen for the first time in past ten minutes, he saw Falco, then Slippy, then was eye to eye with Peppy_._

            "The mission," he said to his elder with an unwavering glare in his eyes. "That was your main concern after the death of my mother, then my father, and now Fara—"

            Falco then surged forward. "Hey! That was uncalled for!"

            "No." Peppy reached out for the younger pilot's shoulder as the other turned away then walked out. "Let him cool down. No sense in making matters worse than they already are. There's nothing any of us could've done and we know it. Plus, he's got a right to his feelings. Can't say he's had much good news in so many years....but this...this will probably change him forever."


	6. Lylat Six

Lylat: Star Fox Chronicles 

_The future of Corneria rested in the hands of a young man far younger than the majority of pilots in the Air Command. Thing about that was, the general had absolutely no control over this young Arwing pilot, nor the ones chosen to join his cause. Actually, Slippy Toad wasn't all that much a risk, but Falco Lombardi was so gung-ho that he'd practically blow away an entire planet if too many bombs were in his possession at once. And was a sure thing the team would sooner or later meet up with the renegade Katt Monroe, who would surely lead them right into traps if they weren't careful. Then was that Phoenix billionaire, a giant in special weaponry with a daughter who also held a great passion for flying yet rumored to have an even greater fondness of Fox McCloud._

_            Less than a week away from the team's first mission, General Pepper called in the last—but certainly not the least—member of Star Fox._

_            "Fox is the leader but you're the one in charge, Peppy. I happen to know the evil emperor's more than ready to destroy that young man and anyone who's too close to him. That's why I'm making it your job to watch him. And as much as I hate doing this, try keeping him focused on the missions...and away from Miss Fara Phoenix. Understand?"_

_            No questions asked, Peppy gave the assurance that nothing would go wrong on his watch. Fox had been like a son to him and he wasn't about to let the likes of Andross take that away._

_            "I'm afraid it won't be so easy." The general reiterated._

_            "Don't worry," Peppy proclaimed. "By the time I'm finished whippin' that boy into shape he won't think twice about Miss Fara. As a matter of fact, I can tell you right now that his main and only objective is taking Andross down for good. Until that happens, his mind will be on nothing else."_

_            General Pepper never said it, but it wasn't Fox McCloud's mind they had to worry about._

Lylat: Level 6

            The marshlands and vast forests at Kelm made it nearly impossible to spot the camouflaged starship and it was fairly easy getting to the laboratory after Slippy marked a path to the obscure entrance by aligning branches on the ground along the foliage. Falco had been there before, so he was familiar with his landing point and made sure to they wouldn't have far to go with their limited supply of oxygen for Fox, thirty minutes more was all they needed. Rita and Fara entered through the main doors within the last few seconds, and joined Slippy as he started the fresh intravenous and started oxygen immediately.

            _"He'll make it....he has to. There's no way we're lettin' him die."_

_            "What happens when they find us?"_

_            "They won't. Not before we get him back to good health anyway. 'Til then, let me handle it. And no outside phone calls, got that, ladies?"_

_            ...Strange how he could hear them but not open his eyes. What he wanted more than anything was not to hear the sound of quiet weeping and feel a warm hand grasp his._

_            Voices carried somewhere nearby. Finally, the hint of mild light went away, then again, blackness, and suddenly came a vivid memory..._

The World Is My G-Diffuser

            "...Fox! I know you can hear me! Acknowledge! This'll be your neck pal if you don't turn back...Peppy's orders! ...Fox!—"

            Not one of them knew his abilities, his feelings of rage, his moments of despair. If they didn't understand by now that he'd tried fighting back all the emotions but failed, they would never get it. He punched the mute control, putting an end to the unwanted noise inside the cockpit, then made a quick boost, leaving Falco in the streaming white wake. He then increased altitude and headed on a course toward the outer perimeter of Area Six. Knowing well enough he would become a sitting duck for the long-range missiles and special weapons, he prepared his shield for heavy combat, making sure to engage full power through the G-diffuser and made a quick visual check of the control panel. But strangely, the enemy never came as he approached and scanned the area in a desperate search for any sign of the missing transport. Sure was quiet out there—_too quiet_, he could almost hear the smooth drawl in Peppy's voice warning him of an unseen danger. Next, he circled his Arwing several times around the area, expecting gangs of cruisers to blast him with their splintering lasers or perhaps this time Star Wolf would appear over the horizon just in time for another infernal dogfight, and then battleships would unleash a flurry of missiles that would narrowly graze the hull as he deflected them. Fox had no doubts. His trusty instincts told him something was out there, perhaps not showing itself but certainly observing his every move, and so he dropped altitude before running a more thorough check of the spinning fortresses with a fine-toothed comb, locking onto any unidentifiable item with the photo-sensors and scrolling each one hoping to find a match with the transport's identification tags.

            Ten passes. Not a scrap in sight. He then turned toward the ruinous planet of Venom and supplied max power to the thrusters to get passed the satellite bases quickly, successfully maneuvered his sleek ship carefully around stray enemy minefields then opened the wings after getting through safely. Just beyond the next satellite, a hard chill grazed his spine and he realized nothing was out there. Not a sign.

            One more pass and then an incoming call came over the com, abruptly breaking his concentration. But without time for second thoughts, Fox answered.

            "Ah....Fox McCloud...again,"

            The voice of Andross came through loud and clear. Yeah, he anticipated this, since Andross was a master of reinvention and now the first genius to uncover secrets of the afterlife.

            "I've been expecting you,"

            The villain sounded like his same old self.

            "It must feel awful to keep losing the ones you love,"

            Fox angrily whacked the com with a fist then adjusted his headset, bringing the microphone to his mouth.

            "Don't you dare touch her, Andross!" he yelled and increased his air speed another fifty knots, bearing down on Venom like a shark closing in on its prey.

            "Too late for that, young McCloud,"

            His heart dashed inside his chest, and he couldn't loosen his tight grip on the throttle or remove his concentration from the ruinous planet ahead.

            "She will become my most prized experiment yet,"

            Fox slammed the panel with the palm of his hand. "I'll kill you first!"

            "Hehehe," taunted Andross. "You've already tried that, young man. Doesn't work. Plus, I have plans for you as well."

            At that moment beams of bright lights dashed across the sky and broke in different directions, and one of the streaks hit the hull of the Arwing with a powerful surge that took Fox by quite a surprise. Apparently the surge had been so powerful that it knocked out the radar, and the G-diffuser indicator flashed red and which meant it took significant damage. Next came warnings of incoming enemies but he had no visual on them, and strangely enough something started hitting him. Whatever it was spun the ship on its side although both wings were intact, then something appeared from the dark sky, a grayish matter started out about the size of a space mine but then changed rapidly into a cyclone that grew to massive proportions right in front of his eyes. With a quick reflex, he bore down on the brake then tried his damnedest to get enough power through the G-diffuser so he could barrel-roll and dodge the swirling winds, but the all the ship did was turned further on his side then it whipped around with its tail suddenly at the wind. He boosted once. No effect. The spiraling air pulled the ship backwards into it, then sucked it into the core.

            Fox now had no control of the Arwing. Not only that but the fact that it was going backward gave him a feeling of total helplessness, and all of sudden every instrument on the control panel fell black and now in dire straits he pressed the com and shouted, "Mayday! Mayday! Great Fox! Mayday!"

            Nothing.

            The windstorm narrowed and tore off the wings as it spun faster. The ship then shook violently in the loud roar of the funnel's depths, seemingly close to disintegration, and he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, madly wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to anything he could to maneuver out of this even if it wasn't working. His eyes were starkly open as the force increased, and he knew he would surely be crushed upon impact if anything got in the way. His ship plummeted with breathtaking speed as the instruments crackled and popped in the darkness, his body lunged at the restraints gripping tightly across his chest and shoulders, but hell no, his life wasn't going to end this way. Then another flash of lightning broke across the hull, reminding him that the outcome was completely out of his control this time. Andross had him, just like his dad, his mom...

            ..._Fara, I'll be here for you, always. I'll protect you. I'll never let him get his hands on you...._

Andross had even made him a liar.

            The Arwing couldn't withstand the pressure any longer, and Fox saw nothing but total darkness—the same as his father must have seen in that black hole—then came a piercing yell from his lungs. After that, the implosion.

            __

(continued)


	7. Lylat Seven

Lylat: Star Fox Chronicles 

            "Rob, I want you to zoom in here,"

            Done.

            "Perfect. Now give me a still shot."

            "CANNOT PERFORM REQUESTED ACTION."

            The mechanical navigator of the Great Fox stood no more than three feet away from the main controls, however, giving him commands could be done from just about anywhere, yet not by just anyone; his voice recognition software had been programmed exclusively for the Star Fox team and Corneria's General Pepper. 

            Rob64 was property of Lylat Systems Robotronics, a subsidiary of Phoenix Industries, and Fox knew damned well who owned that, but this was a discerned risk worth taking, for the odd feeling within was his seemingly fateful connection to this lovely fennec fox, which in turn came the unsettling feeling about the stranger seen with her.

            "Rob, I command you to do it."

            "My surveillance initiatives are not able to spy on civilians."

            "I'm not spying, just making sure everything's okay....you know, protection."

            "THEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO ENGAGE THE SPOTLIGHT, COMMANDER MCCLOUD?"

            "No—! I mean....please, Rob, no need to alarm anyone, right? Just get a few still shots and load them to my local server, and make sure to get some close-ups of her friend, understand?"

            After a quite long strike of silence, Fox heard clicking within the mainframe's circuitry and a turn of whatever device it used to switch the lenses on the Great Fox's powerful telescopic camera built into hull just below the ship's lasers, and he watched the smaller monitor on the right side of his controls, keeping his eyes focused on the image of the young woman at her doorstep with her companion as Rob64 created stills of the scene every six seconds, with the final shot of the couple embracing, but stopping just short of a kiss before the young lady opened the door and went in by herself.

            "That's good, Rob. Thanks."

            "ANYTHING ELSE, COMMANDER MCCLOUD?"

            "Erase the data you've just collected from your memory, and don't worry, I'll never ask you to do this again."

            Rob's internals clicked again. "WORRY? I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM."

            Fox swiveled his chair slightly to the right and punched a button on the back of his right glove, and the monitor he had been watching faded to black. He then looked back at his old robot pal.

            "I'd say your were better off but I'd be lying. Just a few more days, Rob," He leaned forward, holding a small, soft cloth which he used to shine the piece of rare jewelry held in his hands. "Just a few more days and she'll be here,"

_            "A VISITOR?"_

_            "No.....more than that...."_

_            "I DON'T UNDERSTAND. ANYONE WHO BOARDS THIS SHIP OTHER THAN THE CREW IS A VISITOR."_

_            A subtle smile crept upon Fox's face as he looked somewhere into the sky and thought of the dream he'd had the night before._

_            "She'll be family. This ship will be her second home."_

_            Just as Fox had said, the young lady, Miss Fara Phoenix, came aboard ship a few days later and stayed a while, giving Rob time to familiarize her image in his database just before Peppy gave her the immediate order of dismissal._

_            "COMMANDER MCCLOUD, DO YOU WISH TO SEE THE PHOTOS I INSTALLED ON YOUR LOCAL SERVER?"_

_            Fox shielded his glistening eyes as if the robot would see his sadness._

_            "...No. As a matter of fact....enter my alternate password then encrypt them on the server."_

_            Done._

_            "ANYTHING ELSE, COMMANDER?"_

_            "That's it. You can take a break and shut down for a while."_

_            Done._

_            Rob64 stayed down for three hours. When he came back online, Peppy was at the controls and had activated emergency status._

_            "Rob, gimme me Fox's location!"_

_            "NEGATIVE.  LOCATION OF COMMANDER MCCLOUD'S ARWING UNKNOWN."_

_            Next, Peppy gave orders to the remaining two members of the crew._

_            "Okay guys, looks like we're goin' in,"_

_            "Man, Fox can be such a lame brain sometimes!" said Falco as he put on his flight jacket, smoothed his blue feathery skin and headed out to the hangar._

            "Hey! That's not nice! He's got feelings too, ya know!" Slippy grabbed his gloves and headed out behind Falco, whose usual cross glare quickly sharpened.

_            "Yeah...feelings....whatever. Do me a favor, Slip, and stop your whining. We wouldn't be doin' this if Fox wasn't such a lovestruck pup—"_

_            "Knock off the scuttlebutt, both of ya!" Peppy engaged the ship's automation then hurried out. "Rob, take over. We're outta here!"_

Lylat: Level 7

            "Our financial resources have taken an unexpected hit because of this," said General Pepper to the attendees of his special meeting. "Fox McCloud was on the planet of Venom approximately one hundred and eighty three days, during which he was brainwashed and drugged. Another one of our young countrymen, Hawk Raymo, was also coerced into serving with the enemy until he was killed...unfortunately, it was Fox who delivered the fatal blow to the specialist agent. We managed getting in and stopping another one of Andross's horrid schemes, but our army suffered substantial casualties in the process. I've now learned that Fox, while being under Andross's control, helped test secret weapons to be used against Corneria, and in no way is it pleasant for me to reveal this next bit of information, but he also had some less than acceptable dealings with Miss Phoenix while she was contained as a hostage,"

            High level Cornerian council members had already taken their reserved places in the Aramence Conference Hall—twelve of them to be exact—brought in by General Pepper and thoroughly briefed on the events that would go down as one of the greatest blunders in Lylat's history. Yet worse was the presence of a certain civilian who made things extremely uncomfortable from the moment he stepped in and took the reserved seat at the table. That look, with the penetrating cold as steel eyes, came from Mr. Phoenix, a man not at all happy about his daughter's capture or Fox McCloud's daredevil stunt to save her, not to mention how long she'd been trapped on Venom only to return home and end up aiding and abetting a guy he had referred to as the "cocky little overpaid fighter pilot and his oddballish renegade pals." It was bad enough when the man who some referred to as "Chief" learned of how Peppy had ordered Fara to leave the Great Fox without first getting clearance from the sky patrol at Fortuna; had the standard procedure been followed, he would have been notified of the system-wide transport alerts. Furthermore, Mr. Phoenix was hopping mad when he found out about Fox's hot pursuit of Fara the entire time they'd been on Venom, which was now being blamed on trace amounts of a relatively unknown drug.

            "We know their location," General Pepper finally admitted after his lengthy address to the council.

            Once more, Peppy felt those cold eyes lingering hard and heavy on him as the General continued.

            "And we now know for sure, Fox has come around. Bill Grey received a message from him at Katina Air Base. Apparently he's well aware of the impact of his actions but refuses to give himself up. Peppy, I need you to go to Slippy's laboratory at Kelm. You can talk to him, tell him he'll be treated fairly. I'll make sure of it. It's either that or we'll have to use force, and you know well as I do that consequences of that could turn ugly."

            Peppy's mouth opened but failed to speak before Mr. Phoenix made his last absolute request.

            "You'll bring my little girl out of there in one piece. No exceptions,"

            Phoenix stood, and everyone in the room gazed up at the tall and lanky mogul who looked not so much like the breed of vulpine he was but more like an old world creature from an ancient myth, and Peppy thought to himself how the sir name seemed utterly fitting.

            "General, I'm leaving. You'll let me know what you decide and keep me informed."

            After that, Mr. Phoenix was escorted out by two officers and Peppy finally exhaled again just before being addressed by General Pepper.

            "You'll have twenty-four hours. I'd think that would be more than enough time for you to get Fox to surrender. Any longer and the army will have to move in."

            Senior Hare had no intentions of letting this get any further out of hand. Inevitably, Fox would have to come out of hiding and fess up to his mistakes and plead his innocence. But no...he wasn't quite without guilt, was he? He'd done some things that warranted severe punishment by the law and there was no way out, but sure as hell Peppy wasn't going to let the kid face it alone. He'd be there, just like he'd promised his pal James from day one of the little cub's life.

Personal Vendetta

            She endured through many months of solitary confinement, but weakened after days on end of suffering at the hands of someone she had trusted with her life. How they would get out, she really didn't care, just stayed quiet and let him lead the way to freedom, if that was his true intention this time. Now that she had helped commit murder, treason, and truly believed his claim of not being able to control his other reprehensible actions, the thought of returning home wasn't all so glorious anymore. As a matter of fact she was sure the shame would consume her once the citizens of her home world were informed of the truth.

            One hundred and eighty days had been spent in the enemy's so-called training, inside an isolated camp near the abandoned Bolse Satellite. Her companion was not even aware what had taken place during the past six months, but Fara knew well enough why the Venomian ships roared above her cell just hours after her transport was hijacked and brought to the planet's repulsive leader. Andross got what he wanted.

            He had trapped her inside his horrible prison.

            A once dedicated special agent had been lured with the promise of a huge reward.

            The most talented fighter pilot in Corneria was captured and held for the largest ransom in the entire planetary system.

            Let the war begin, Andross snarled and cackled.

            His first action was to transform the two male prisoners by using a series of injections with a substance he had created and tested only once on a few less fortunate victims. The drug would turn them violently against each other, and when it proved successful, he had forced Fara to watch the ensuing showdown that would leave only one alive. Hawk, the strong, burly pigeon, had been picked to win long before the brawl began, yet it took no longer than the span of a few seconds for the match to end. Fresh blood ran down the sides of the platform right in front of Fara's seat, and she sat there, drenched with fear as one lied dead and the other proclaimed victory with blood from one of his own on his hands, and she had blinked away tears when remembering how those were the same hands that had touched her with a gentle passion not so very long ago. Within days, Andross had Fox completely in his control. Fara saw all of this whenever she was let out of her cell and taken to the armory where Fox worked endlessly at testing the new weapons. Once finished with each assignment, he would find the place where the guards kept her and ordered them to leave, then pressed her to join forces with Andross for as long as it would take, at least until they made it out alive, "We'll make a pact," he said, "Just you and me. I wouldn't want it any other way, especially now that we've been together..."  She had refused to accept his disgusting offer, no matter what. To be with him now was almost sickening, but he'd come to save her, just as he promised.

            "I don't' care if you save me."

            "Don't say that," He glared and opened his holster, then placed the blaster he had used to slay his comrade on a table in front him and performed a quick diagnostic test with the touch of a button on the back of his specialized glove. "I'm not willing to die here and sure as hell I'm not about to let you die here. The Conservatory at Zoness has already been hit by one of the secret weapons and Andross has vowed to begin a new attack against Corneria soon as possible. I'll get you out of here before that. We're going home, Fara, and soon....very soon."

            She'd never been scared of him, yet somehow the coarseness of his voice reminded her of the rage just before he pounded six rounds of ammo into Hawk, then with the gloved laser on his right hand, finished the guy off with a massive blow to the back of the skull.

.           "I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't absolutely necessary. You can't possibly believe Hawk didn't get what he deserved after hijacking that transport. Turning over classified information to Andross was worth more to him than your life. I may be guilty of murder and some other things but he could have killed you in the process of committing the highest form of treason,"

            "Stop. Please. Just stop,"

            For the moment, Fox gazed quietly at her, and she looked away, hoping not to do anything to make him so demonically aroused again.

            "What did I say, Fara?" His voice now sounded more scolding than anxious. "I'm not giving up. Andross has got me now but he won't win, I'll make sure of that. He probably figured I'd give in to him after that whirlwind crushed my ship... Not a chance."

            "....it should have killed you," she mumbled vehemently and sat down on a bench which was the only place for sitting in the small cell.

            Not long after that she quivered when feeling him come near, and refused to look when he stood in front of her.

            "I don't know what I've done but I promise never to do it again,"

            "Yes....never." She got up quickly and bolted away, not getting far before he snatched a good hold of her and tightened it as his determination increased.

            "Six hours is about what we've got left before our guys get here. I'm sure they're coming since Andross made that first strike on Zoness. You can bet they'll come for us, and they'll find us," He then took a brief pause, kept his eyes focused on her and his tone steady. "We'll go home. This'll be behind us. We'll start over—"

            "I don't want to start over."

            "You don't mean that."

            "I do mean it,"

            He gripped her harder, brought her in closer to him. "Dammit, Fara, you're letting him win.,"

            "This isn't a game, Fox."

            His silence lasted only for a second before the sharp response.

            "Oh really? Then what the hell did you think it was when you started seeing Hawk Raymo?"

            That was so totally demeaning that in a breath of fury she smacked him across the face with a force that knocked him back and stunned him into releasing her. About time. She had thought. Whatever drug Andross used has turned him into an obnoxious fool almost not worth loving anymore... if I ever did love him...   Those feelings rippled through her but she was certain of what she'd done, and now looking at him, it seemed he'd lost all the color in his already pale fur, and for some reason he stumbled backwards, missing the wall before he went down...

            "FOX!"

            It was like a dream and he couldn't wake up from it, but then his eyes opened and he felt his body being shaken from the floor beneath him.

            "GET UP!" someone cried. "You have to get up! They're dropping bombs on us! We have to get out—"

            Get out... ....I came here to get her out, and I won't fail...

            He came to his senses and looked around, sighed with relief after seeing Fara clearly, and soon as he heard the constant whir of sirens and shrill alarms blaring overhead, he got up on his feet to finish what he'd started, then noticed the open cell door and wondered, which led her to refresh his memory.

            "You broke in, remember? You fought your way in here and we were trying to plan an escape when we got into an arg—"

            Not another word before he grabbed his weapon from the table nearby then immediately took her hand and bravely looked ahead. "Let's go."

            She went with him, no objections.

            He hadn't told her that he really had no plan. Couldn't admit it was a matter of luck as they entered the chaos and managed getting across an open area where troops were too busy running for their own lives to worry about recapturing any prisoners. If not for that, it would've been over for sure. Next, he kept a strong hold of her hand along a maze of corridors, following nothing more than his own basic instincts and the scent of unfiltered air.

            "If we get out, we could make it to the ships on the dock," she told him as they descended to a lower level. "But it's a heavily secured area,"

            First and foremost was getting out facility as the alarms got louder and the bombs started dropping at more frequent intervals. In the next two minutes they came to the last level and saw the light of day at the end of a tunnel and made it out safely.

            They were out, but far from freedom.

            "Geez...."

            He could barely see the sky through the billowing smoke and barrage of Venomian jets going up against the Cornerian's, but then Fara started pulling on him and he realized the line of ships in the dock up ahead. They had to run for it again, shielding themselves from the debris with only his jacket and he made sure to have his weapon handy as they made it to the gate where a soldier stood on guard. It was Fox who caught the guy from behind and Fara who supplied a good swift kick in the crotch, then two hits with the blaster put the guy out cold.

            Fox looked around and saw the shadow of another soldier in the distance.

            "Shhh.." he scrambled and pulled her with him. They went around the other side as he readied his weapon and moved her behind him when the soldier approached from the rear of the pristine ship. "You go...I'll take care of him,"

            She started to move but then stopped suddenly and made him look back.

            "I said, go—"

            "Not without this," she held in her hand his gift, the diamond Cornerian wings. "...For good luck."

            With little time to waste, he pinned it onto her jacket just above her heart, and then whatever had taken place in the beginning must not have mattered anymore, because she held him, brought her lips to his for a kiss, then whispered into his ear.

            "I'll have a very nice surprise for you when we get home, Fox."

            His whole body warmed just before she let go, and as he watched her climb upon the wing and open the hatch, he saw all the more reason to go out there and kick some serious ass, starting with the next soldier who came around the ship and aimed at him with some sort of laser-powered weapon, but before the fellow could shoot, he was doused with a cap of sleeping gas that Fox had purloined from the main base.

            Next he heard the Venomian ship's engine firing up behind him, and he looked up, quickly exchanged glances with Fara then rushed over to the next jet and rolled in, powered up, and after getting set into the harnesses, he made a quick a com check.

            "...Testing....you copy, Fara?"

            She looked over and gave a thumbs up, "Yes."

            "Perfect," He checked the gauges and adjusted the volume. "I'll lead, you follow, got that?"

            "Got it."

            She'll be fine, he thought to himself. The Venomian ships have the same basic controls as ours, and she knows well enough how to fly...

            Once in the air he instructed her to stay on the outside as not get caught up in the fray, and that strategy had worked until one of the Cornerian ships spotted her and went in for the kill.

            "Fox! I've been hit!"

            He banked a sharp right and closed in on the ship, locked on the lasers, then blasted the Cornerian fighter with a few good hits, imposing enough damage to make him back off of her tail. Bad thing about was now the Cornerians had reason to chase him and go after Fara again, and he had to take out a whole cluster of them with a V-bomb.

            "Good grief....looks like this is it, babe... Go ahead of me. I'll cover you."

            He then looked over at her and saw the fright in her eyes just before she boosted ahead, breaking through the smoky layer of clouds, and just as she did that, he heard a familiar voice over the com.

            "...It's heading out! Catch him before he gets away!"

            "Bill!" Fox shouted anxiously over the com. "Call 'em off! That's Fara out there!"

            ".....Fox? Is that you? What's your location?"

            "Over here in this Venomian heap of junk. I'm signaling you now,"

            "Hey! I can see you!" shouted another voice.

            "Slippy...boy what a relief it is to hear from you,"

            "Hey guys! Hold off!" Bill called out to his unit. "Let her go! She's one of ours! Don't worry, Fox. I'll take her in through Aquas and get her back home."

            "Thanks, Bill. I owe you one."

            "Forget it, this one's on me."

            Fox then saw Bill's ship head out after Fara's and they both vanished over the horizon, then came a rude awakening when something hit him from the rear.

            "Fox! They must know where you are, too!" yelled Slippy. "There's one right behind you!"

            Now the Venomians were on him. He made another quick break for the perimeter and diverted their shots with a barrel roll but couldn't quite handle the throttle like his Arwing which made it too easy for the enemy to spot him and gang up on his tail. While it was obvious that the Cornerians were winning as they knocked Venomian jets out of the sky like flies, Fox couldn't maneuver after losing a quad wing and couldn't gain enough speed to shake the enemy, and he took yet another hit, then another,

            "Hold on, Fox! We're comin' for ya!"

            Peppy.

            "You should've listened to me the first time, but I'm here to save your hide anyway."

            Falco.

            The two of them took out the ones behind him and after that helped finish off the rest of the Venom fleet, then pounded the installation with bombs until the first explosions started and the entire base commenced disintegration.

            "That's it! Everybody clear outta here!" Falco shouted, and his orders were immediately obeyed.

a/n: WHEW! Finally an update!


	8. Lylat Eight

Lylat: Star Fox Chronicles 

_            "The Universe is an evil place,"_

_            "Yes, Uncle Andross. It is. That's why I wanted to do away with him from the—"_

_            "SHADDUP!"_

_            Andrew Oikonny fell silent on instant as his uncle looked to the other one present, a sleek gray lupine, older and more experienced, more ready to serve, and clever. Although the team of Star Wolf as a whole left much to be desired, as they had lost each time going up against Star Fox, Wolf O'Donnell would one day face Fox McCloud alone, and he would win--Andross was sure of it._

_            "Wolf, perhaps you can fill me in on the details?"_

_            "Yes. Of course," Wolf answered straightforwardly. "I've received word from our operatives that Fox surrendered after wingman Patrick Hare promised him a fair hearing. He was then turned over to the Cornerian tribunal. They didn't charge him with treason, nor murder. Instead he received six months probation for the lesser crime of disobeying orders. He and his...new bride, the former Miss Phoenix, now reside in the west division of Artica. They've been there two years and have one son."_

_            Andross looked at Wolf hard and long, seeing the future and all of its possibilities._

_            "The operatives. I assume you've posted their positions?"_

_            "I have," said Wolf. "They're following my direct orders to keep an eye on Fox as we speak. They both have extensive mechanical knowledge of the Cornerian transports and they're highly trained with explosives. Right now they are both employed by the Air Commission at the Corneria City terminal."_

_            "Good. James McCloud will pay beyond his own life for what he did to me. He chose to destroy my creations....I'll destroy his. I want to know when the son's new wife is scheduled to take any trips without him. This time, her trek will prove fatal...."_

Lylat: Level 8--Conclusion

            The pitter-patter of rain on the rooftop was soothing, so much that it put her to sleep in his arms. Their eighteen-month old son slept in the next room and the entire house had been secured earlier, nevertheless, he couldn't help but to make one more check before turning in for some shut-eye, because he'd need plenty before morning. Earlier in the evening, he spoke to Peppy, Slippy, and Falco. All systems were go. Peppy advised him not to rush and enjoy the last few days with his family before taking on the next mission which was expected to take three months and would perhaps stretch to 300 days if there were too many complications. Also was his wife, who wanted to return to her career as a defense specialist, and he made no objections, knowing what she did was as important to her as his desire to return to active duty aboard the Great Fox. She had been expected to meet with her new boss, whose main office was on Fortuna, then return to work at the office in Corneria City right away. But for now, Fox had other concerns.

            All lights on the home security panel checked out. He stood in the main hallway and looked around, then pulled a small latch on the right side which let out a 3 x 5 screen along with a number pad, and he dialed nine digits with his anthropomorphic paws. Seconds later, the face of his old friend appeared on screen.

            "Fox? Is everything okay?"

            "Yeah, Peppy, everything's fine."

            "So Miss Fara's all ready to go in the morning?"

            "Well, that's what I called to talk to you about,"

            "Is there a problem?"

            "Well...no...not really. It's just that she's been a bit tense about flying ever since we got back from Venom. I thought that maybe if our friends were there to see her off, it'd make her feel better."

            "Oh? So you want us there in the morning?"

            "If you don't mind."

            "I don't see any problem with that. Especially if it'll help her. She's like the daughter I never had, Fox."

            "Thanks, Peppy."

            "What about the little guy? You bringin' him along, too?"

            "Yeah. I'll get him over to the grandparents after Fara takes off. He'll be with them until she gets back."

            "Good. I'll tell the guys and we'll be there in the morning. Now go get some sleep, Fox!"

            For some reason that was just easier said than done. Fox wasn't quite sure, but something was wrong, he just couldn't pinpoint it. Maybe it was just that he was a bit nervous about taking his son, Jamie, to stay with Fara's step-mother and dad, because Mr. Phoenix had continued giving Fox a hell of a hard time since the day of the engagement and hadn't failed to make clear that he really wasn't so happy about the marriage. What was even worse was the step-mother, Silvy, kept worrying Fara about Andross and his never-ending grudge, and that she was at risk of becoming his next victim as long as she was the wife of a McCloud.  At least Fara was strong-minded enough not to listen to them.

            Five o'clock the next morning, Fox got up, deactivated the security system, went out to fetch the morning paper, then prepared the family for a short ride to the Corneria City air terminal.

            When they arrived on the concourse of gate 11, Peppy was there just as he had said he would be, along with Slippy, and Falco who surprising brought Katt with him. Not only that, Fara was pleasantly surprised when she saw Bill and Rita; the best man and maid of honor.

            "Pictures!" Rita got her camera and aimed for Fox and Fara who hugged right after the flight was announced. She snapped a couple of them, then one of them with Jamie, then the whole gang. Quite a nice celebration it turned out to be and when it was time for Fara to finally get aboard the transport, Fox pulled her aside and into his arms, then had one thing to say.

            "I know Peppy won't be too crazy about this, but I'll make sure we pass Fortuna on the way out,"

            "Aw, don't you get into any trouble because of me, Fox." she responded with a flirty smile that always sent quivers up and down his fur.

            One last kiss.

            "Okay, babe. Take care. I'll see you soon, and I love you."

            "And I love you." said Fara. Then she picked up Jamie and kissed his wet nose and petted his muzzle the way a mother should, placed him snuggly into his dad's arms, waved goodbye to all their friends then got into the line of passengers and headed out to board the transport.

            Ten minutes until take off.

            "You okay, Fox?"

            Fox didn't look at Falco who stood next to him, just kept his eyes on the huge ship that was built sort of like a sleek tram with wings—this one was one of deluxe shuttles with so many frills that it rivaled the Great Fox itself, definitely the best money could buy. Next, he heard the whine of the engines as its blades spun at full speed; moments later it backed out from the dock.

            "Guess that's it. She's on her way now. She'll be fine."

            Falco was silent, probably because he knew it was all out of their hands now.

            Then, Fox saw Fara. She was seated on the right in the fifth row window seat, and she was looking at him, too, not in a frightened way, but in a way that said she would be all right just before pressing her hand gently against her window. He then did the same at the window where he stood, until the plane taxied and headed for take off.

            "Come on, Fox. We'd better get goin'." said Peppy.

            He looked back one last time to see the plane lift into the sky and held on to the belief that Fara would be safe in that transport—after all, he had received an official statement from the head mechanical engineer that the inspection had been completed and approved by the on duty maintenance techs for a smooth, uneventful operation.

            _I've won again...Andross...I'll make sure to win every time until I finally get rid of you...._

            Finally, Fox turned from the window and walked away, trusting his wife to the wide open skies of the universe, and to fate, which had so far always been on their side.

_Hereafter_

            He hung up his coat and filed the logs for the last time. There would be no more flying for a while. Didn't mean to sound like an old arrogant bastard, but enough was enough, and he seen just about all the tragedy he could take in forty-one years, which he told General Pepper before walking out of the main headquarters, this time for good.

            "I think you understand, don'tcha, old friend?"

            Ever so often, he'd catch himself talking to James, knowing he was long gone, but then again....

            "I know you're proud of that son of yours. He's had some hard times lately...well, we've all had some hard times. But he'll get through this. He's a strong kid. And you've got quite a grandson, too. Poor little fella, already misses his mom...."

            Peppy went to his kitchen and poured a glass of water to wash down the pill that was supposed to help him sleep better at night. Strange thing, he really didn't feel like sleeping, but it probably wouldn't have done any good anyway to be knocked out if the little one called for him. One last time, he peeked in on Jamie. The kid slept peacefully, seemed content while his dad went on the newest mission. The last thing the kid said before drifting off was that he had a good idea of what he wanted to dream about. He'd grow up to be a pilot, he said, the greatest the Lylat Universe had ever seen, just like his dad.

That's it! Hope you enjoyed this little first Star Fox fic of mine and really truly thanks for taking the time to read it!^_^


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